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No. 784,344. A PATENTED MAR. 7, 1.905. R. M. PEARSON &' W. LETZIG.

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APPLIOAATION FILED MAY 25, 1904.

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Arma/v INTTED STATES PATENT Patented March '7, 1905.

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RALEIGH M. PEARSON AND WILLIAM LETZIG, OF LITTLEv ROOK, ARKANSAS.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,344, dated March 7, 1905.

Application filed May Z5, 1904. Serial No. 209,708.

To all 11:71pm, it may concern:

Beit known that we, RALEIGH M. PEARsoN and VILLIAM LETZIG, citizens orl the United States, and residents of Little Rock, in the county et' Pulaski and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and Improved Sign, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved sign which is very attractive both in the day-time and at nig'ht, the sig'n-letters being' wholly illuminated and readable on both sides of the sign and illuminated by the same source of light at a comparatively little expense.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, formino' a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a perspective view of a sign having removable and interchangeable letters, one end cover of the sign being' shown raised. Fig'. 2 is an enlarged transverse section ot' the same. Fig'. Sisa rear perspective view oi' one ot' the sign-letters. Fig. 4 is a front view of a modified form of the same. Fig 5 is a front perspective view of the letter shown in Fig'. 3, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation ot' a sign having' fixed sign-letters.

The casing A, of sheet metal or other suitable material, is preferably made rectangular in cross-section and is provided on its sides Al with cut-out portions A2 for the reception of removable and interchangeable sign -letters B, mounted to slide in suitable guideways A, formed on the top and bottom walls ot' the cut-out portions of the sides A', as plainly shown in Fig. 2. One or both ends A4 of the casing A are adapted to be either removed or swung into an uppermost position, as indicated in Fig. l, to allow of sliding the signletters B from the open end of the easing in position on the sides A' and along the guideways A3 in their regular order and according to the name or phrase to be displayed.

Each sign-letter B is composed in partvot wire-netting B' and in part of a plate B7Z et' sheet metal or like material, the plate being formed with an opening corresponding to the shape of the letter to be represented and the wire-netting being' attached to the side walls ot' the said opening and raised and rectangular, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, or curved, as shown in Fig'. `4, so that the rays oi' light can penetrate through the meshes in the wire-netting, but are prevented from penetrating through the opaque plate B2.

In the bottom ot' the casing' A is arranged a long'itudinally-extendiug reflector O, preferably made concave and corrugated in a longitudinal direction, as plainly indicated in Fig. l, and on the top of the said reflector O and along the middle thereof is arranged a row ot' lamps to form a source of light D, preferably in the shape of electric lamps, ii' electricity is available, but candles or any other sourceof light may be employed. A V-shaped partition E extends lengthwise in the casingrthe apex of the partition being directly above the source of light D and spaced from the reflector C, while the side arms are curved from the apex upwardly and outwardly to terminate at the upper corners oi' the casing, as plainly indicated in Figs. l and 2. The outer faces E of the partition E are covered with tin-foil 0r are silvered, the laces being' irregularly shaped, so as to present something' similar to what is known as rock-face.

By the arrangement described the rays oi' light from the source of light D strongly illuminate the faces E', as well as the top face oi' the reiiector C, so that the said Vfaces form an illuminated background Vt'orl the sign-letters, and consefpicntly the wire-netting B gives the letter an appearance of a solid illuminated letter in the night, and duringthe daytime when the source of light is extinguished the sign-letter has a solid appearance, owing to the fact that the wire-netting is raised 'from the plate B2, as previouslydescribed and illustrated in Figs. l, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

It is understood that the lamps forming the source of light D are not visible through the meshes ot' the wire-netting, but the rays ot' light are strongly reflected from the reflector IOO C, so as to highly illuminate the irregular reflecting-face E, which forms the illuminated background for the sign-letters, and hence it requires but a comparatively weak source of light to render the sign effective at a low expense.

The side of the casing illustrated in Fig. 6 is formed of a rectangular frame F, covered by a wire-netting F, on which are secured sheet-metal or similar solid letters F2, which appear solid during the day-time and highly illuminated during the night, when the lamps forming the source of light D are in action, as the illuminated background formed by the reflecting-faces E brings the letters in great contrast on the wire-netting F.

The sign can be cheaply manufactured and by having the removable'letters can be readily changed at the will of the user, according to the name or phrase to be displayed by the sign.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A sign comprising' a casinghaving signletters in its side and made partly of wirenetting and partly of solid, non-perforate material, a concave reflector in the bottom of the casing, a source of light within the casing' and extending lengthwise on the top of the said reflector along the middle thereof, and a curved reflecting-face extending upwardly and outwardly from the source of light to the upper side corner of the casing.

2. A sign comprising a casing having a longitudinal guideway in itsV side, interchangeable sign-letters removably held in the guideway, each sign-letter consisting of a sheet having an opening corresponding to the shape of the letter, and a wire-netting attached to the sheet at the walls of the opening', the netting being raised. y

3. A sign comprising a casing having a longitudinal guideway in `its side, interchangeable sign-letters removably held in the guideway, each sign-letter consisting of a sheet having an openingcorresponding to the shape of the letter, a wire-netting attached to the sheet at the walls of the opening, the netting being' raised and extended inwardly, and an illuminated reiecting background within the casing for the said sign-letters.

4. A sign comprising a casing having longitudinal guideways in its side, interchangeable sign-letters removably held in the guideways, each letter consisting' of a sheet having an opening corresponding to the shape of the' letter, a wire-netting attached to the sheet at the walls of the opening, the netting' being raised and extended inwardly, a reflector in 1 the bottom of the said casing, a source of light within the casing and extending lengthwise on the top of the said reflector along the middle thereofl and a partition' curved upwardly and outwardly from the source of light, to connect with the upper side corner of the casing, the front face of the said partition being of refleeting material, irregularly shaped and arranged.

5. A sign-letter consisting of a sheet having an opening corresponding to the shape of the letter, and a wire-netting attached tothe sheet at the walls of the opening, the netting being raised.

6. A sign-letter consisting of a sheet having an opening' corresponding' to the shape of the letter, and a wire-netting attached to the sheet at the walls of the opening, the netting being' raised on the inside of the sheet, so as to project from therear face of the plate.

7. A sign comprising a casing having signletters in its side, a concave reflector in the bottom of the casing, and a curved reflectingsurface in rear of the letters.

8. A sign, comprising a casing having signletters in opposing sides, a concave reflector in the bottom of the casing, and a V-shaped reflecting-surface having upwardly and outwardly curved sides, and arranged lengthwise in the casing.

9. A sign, comprising a casing having longitudinal guideways in opposing sides, signletters removably held in the guideways, a concave reflector in the bottom of the casing, a V-shaped reflecting-surface having upwardly and outwardly curved sides and arranged lengthwise in the casing.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing' witnesses.

RALEIGH M. PEARSON. VILLIAM LETZIG.

lilitnesses:

H. D. PARKER, J. L. REID. 

